In many environments such as, for example, although not limited thereto, medical facilities, schools, offices, government buildings, residences, and other institutions, there exists a population of people at risk of committing suicide. In many psychiatric hospitals, for example, patients have been known to attempt suicide, specifically hanging, while in the care of the institution.
These suicide attempts are known to have involved the use of doorknobs and other door hardware. To attempt suicide, a person may wrap a ligature such as a belt, although not limited thereto, around a doorknob in order to hang him- or herself. Institutions have many private rooms where such a suicide attempt may take place, such as bathrooms. Every private room cannot be watched at the same time without enormous staff resources. Therefore, private rooms, and specifically door hardware, provide an area of opportunity for a suicide attempt.
The problem of suicide attempts has been addressed in many institutions by simply removing all door hardware, and even the doors themselves. While this may reduce the opportunity for suicide attempts, it likewise eliminates all privacy and security.
Some current designs for anti-suicide door hardware have included flush-mounting, low profiles, and steep angles to inhibit the affixing of a ligature. However, these known designs fail to fully inhibit the ability of a person to use door hardware for attempting suicide. Furthermore, in an attempt to make the door hardware difficult to use for the purpose of attempting suicide, known designs have made normal operation of the door hardware difficult.
Therefore, it would be beneficial to have a superior system and method for use of anti-ligature door hardware.